Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the weekly meeting of Council of Ministers this afternoon at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.

At the outset of the session, the Cabinet expressed their condolences to King Salman and the royal family on the death of Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.  King Salman expressed his appreciation to all who offered their condolences.

King Salman then briefed the Cabinet on the phone call he made to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.  During the call, King Salman told President-elect Trump that the Kingdom is looking forward to enhancing historical and strategic relations with the United States and working together to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East and the world. He also briefed the Cabinet on the results of his talks with the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford during which they discussed aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and recent developments in the region.

The Cabinet valued the statement issued by the first meeting of the Commission of Economic Affairs and Development of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for Arab States that the GCC countries need to be a bloc in the age of blocs, when they would have an opportunity to be the sixth biggest economy in the world if they work properly in coming years, and they should take advantage of opportunities in the era of economic fluctuations.

The Cabinet reviewed a number of issues and latest developments at the regional and international arenas, reiterating the Kingdom's confirmation, before the Fourth Committee at the United Nations, of its continued support for Palestinian refugees and UNRWA.  The Cabinet also expressed its deep concern of the escalation of violence, acts of provocation and aggression by Israeli occupation forces and terrorist settlers against Palestinians, and Israel's persistence in challenging the relevant UN Resolutions.  The Cabinet renewed the Kingdom's welcoming of the French initiative to call for an international peace conference, according to the terms of reference of the peace process, particularly the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Cabinet also expressed the Kingdom's denunciation and condemnation of the attacks that targeted the French embassy in Athens, Greek and the German Consulate General in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, and the bombing in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan.  The Kingdom reiterates its stand that such terrorist acts are considered as flagrant attacks against international norms, legislation and laws, expressing its condolences and sympathy to the governments and peoples of those countries and the families of the victims.